


Problem Solving For Beginners

by Cloudnine101



Category: Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, First Kiss, Love Confessions, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Master/Servant, Mutual Pining, Smitten Eggsy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-09
Updated: 2015-09-09
Packaged: 2018-04-19 19:36:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4758386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cloudnine101/pseuds/Cloudnine101
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>"I think I found him," Harry says quietly, turning his face away. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Eggsy stares. And stares. And stares. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Him?" he squeaks. "As in - him? Your - your -" </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"My future husband," Harry cuts in, as though those words don't mean anything at all. "Yes."</em>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Problem Solving For Beginners

Harry's sitting back in his armchair. His posture's loose; one hand clutches a glass. The liquid swirls around inside it. He's wearing that suit he likes; it's only dug out on special occasions. Eggsy had been careful with it, in the morning. He'd even pressed it, which Harry _definitely_ should have noticed. 

Placing the tray down on the table, Eggsy refills the decanter, and tries not to feel too pleased.

"Rough day?"

Harry's head comes up, a little - more out of courtesy than anything else, Eggsy likes to think. Harry's always had a knack for knowing where people stand.

"Rough day sir, to you."

Eggsy attempts to smother his grin, and pours another measure of whiskey. "You won't be needin' this, then. _Sir_." Holding the glass outwards, Eggsy stares at the far wall, and waits.

"I never said that," Harry replies (briskly, Eggsy might add). "Pass it over, if you would be so kind."

"You know," Eggsy says, handing him the drink, "you don't have to be so polite. I'm your help, right? I can deal with it."

Harry's eyebrows rise. "What would you be dealing with, precisely?" Eggsy shrugs. The table-top is stained, and chipped. He needs to deal with that later - along with the wall-paper paint, and the toast rack, and the ironing board. "Eggsy."

Eggsy's head snaps up. "Yeah?" Harry sighs. "What... _sir_?"

Harry's smile is gentle. Eggsy can feel himself blushing, because of it - like some stupid kid with a stupid crush. (He can't help but remind himself that _yes, he is_.)

"I think I found him," Harry says quietly, turning his face away.

Eggsy stares. And stares. And stares.

"Him?" he squeaks. "As in - him? Your - your - "

"My future husband," Harry cuts in, as though those words don't mean anything at all. "Yes." He runs a hand through his hair; it goes easily, long, pale fingers parting thick, dark locks.

Eggsy swallows. "Right."

"Right," Harry echoes, with a slight smirk - and, for a second, their eyes meet, and it's just Harry and Eggsy, and there's no rich, pompous asshole about to come between them. "I thought you'd be pleased."

Eggsy blinks. Harry's watching him, face a smiling blank - and he's probably got his feelings all over his, and there's no way Harry's not gonna work this out, and then Eggsy'll have to leave the country, but it'll be alright, because plenty of people need servants, and he's very, _very_ good.

"I'm not going to fire you, Eggsy," Harry says. Eggsy almost jumps out of his skin. Settling back into his seat, Harry continues: "If the time comes for me to be married, you will always have a place in this house. Always."

"When, you mean."

"He hasn't said yes, yet." The light from the fire cuts stark shadows on Harry's cheeks.

Eggsy snorts. "Yeah? Why wouldn't he? Charming older man, in need of someone to spend the rest of his days with. Not bad on the eyes, either. I'd take it." Eggsy winks across, to prove his point, trying to ignore the stutter in his chest.

Harry frowns. "I'd ask you not to joke about this, if I thought it would do any good."

"I ain't joking," Eggsy gets out, past his swollen tongue. "May I sit?"

Harry nods, once, eyes narrowing. Eggsy pulls out a chair, and drags it over to Harry, plopping down in front of him. This close, their knees almost brush. If Eggsy was to lean forward, they'd be actually, physically touching.

Harry stares downwards, into the gap.

"Harry," Eggsy says. "Will you please just shut up a second?" 

Harry nods, again.

Suddenly, it strikes Eggsy that he has absolutely no idea what he's going to say, and that Harry's eyes are on him, and that his pupils are black, and that there are flecks of green around their edges, and since when were Harry's eyes anything but brown?

"I ain't got money. I ain't got class. I ain't got a future, outside of this place - and that's fine. It is. But...what I'm trying to say is, I don't have anything to offer, apart from...apart from me. And that's what I'm doing. Now."

There is a hush. Eggsy's palms sweat. He wipes them on his trousers.

"Eggsy," Harry says, slowly, "are you...propositioning me?"

Eggsy starts backwards. "What? No! I...it...we...my..." Eggsy shuffles in his seat, skin aflame, heart beating out of his chest. "I know you're taken, alright? I know, but...I've gotta try. I've gotta..."

There is silence. Eggsy can hear his pulse in his ears. _Ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump_ \- quicker and quicker and quicker, waiting for - something. Yeah. 

It's stupid. Obviously.

"I'll leave in the morning," Eggsy says. It comes out a lot quieter than he'd intended. Moving to his feet, he doesn't look around. He just stares towards the doorway.

"Eggsy," Harry starts, and cEggsy doesn't turn; but he doesn't go. He can't go, 'cause Harry's gonna feel guilty about this - and it might stop him making a move, and as much as Eggsy might want that, he can't do it. Not to Harry. _Never_ to Harry. He's punch anyone who did.

Eggsy takes a breath.

"You go up to him, and you tell him the truth. Right? You get down on one knee, and you say everything you've ever wanted to say to him. Tell him he's beautiful, tell him he's clever, tell him he's got more money that God - whatever's honest. You say exactly why he's the one for you - and if he's got his head outside his arse, he'll say yes."

Eggsy's voice breaks on the last word. Hopefully, Harry won't notice.

"Eggsy," Harry says, shattering the silence, "you're not letting me finish."

Eggsy's eyes close - because this is it. This is when Harry walks over to him - a chair being pushed out, scraping along, leaving too many marks to deal with; there are footsteps, crinkling on the carpet - and there will be a hand on his shoulder, and Harry, saying that although he's done a good job, it's time for him to go. He'll probably pay him for the rest of the month. Maybe even more.

"Open your eyes," Harry says. Eggsy shakes his head. "Eggsy. I...I need you to do this for me."

Another shake.

"Please," Harry says. "You know you want to." 

Eggsy snorts, and then he does, and Harry's kneeling on the carpet.

The first thing that springs to mind is the number of creases that's gonna leave - and then Eggsy's brain is short-circuiting, because Harry. Carpet. Kneeling. Swallowing.

"I want you to marry me, Eggsy," Harry says, in a undertone.

Eggsy blinks.

"No," he says.

Harry blinks. There are roses in his cheeks. "Was...is this a game, to you? A farce? Something to pass the time, with the ridiculous old bachelor? Didn't you mean what you said? Am I only...only -v"

"No! No, Harry, that ain't what I meant!" Eggsy's hands hovers in the space between them; he withdraws it, before he does something stupid, like pat Harry's head, or stroke fingers through his hair. "I...just...you don't want me. You don't want _me_."

"I can assure you that I do."

Eggsy shakes his head, once more. His neck's gonna get sore, if he keeps going like this. "Nope. You don't, and you - you didn't."

"I do, and I did. From the moment I set eyes on you, in fact," Harry continues. His voice sends tingles down Eggsy's spine. "I'd like to say that I took you on out of the goodness of my heart, Eggsy. Sadly, that's not the case."

"Oi!" Eggsy barks, "I was brilliant!"

"You dropped the silverware, vacuumed my family's tapestries, and destroyed half of my uncle's impossibly valuable mineral collection by dropping them from the top of the astronomy tower. And no, I don't want to know how you managed it." Harry gazes at him levelly. "You were the worst butler I had ever seen, by a large, large margin. Truly."

"...Oh."

" _Oh_ indeed," Harry chuckles. It's way too relieving, to hear the sound - and then it's gone, and Harry's seriousness has returned. Eggsy's stomach sinks through his decidedly non-patterned Oxfords. Harry'd insisted on it - said that they were proper, and gentlemanly - and if that made Eggsy stand a little taller, it didn't matter much.

Harry's talking, again. "What must I do to prove this to you?" he's saying.

"That I'm a crud butler, mate? Nothing." Eggsy manages a smile, through the thunder.

Harry doesn't smile back. "That I'm - I'm in love with you. Hopelessly."

"You're not," Eggsy says.

"I am." Harry's glowering, now. It isn't helping Eggsy's concentration. "Very much so."

"Harry," Eggsy says, "I'm your butler."

"And? Workplace relationships are common, or so Roxy informs me. Honestly, I'm not sure if she's a reliable source, but she seems to have a level head on her shoulders. More so than Merlin, at any event."

"You asked - know what? Harry - err - sir - Harry...you've got more money right now than I'm gonna make. Ever. In my entire life. You and Merlin have _lawn parties_."

Harry's lips purse. "Is that a problem?"

"Yeah," Eggsy bites out, "it is." 

"Merlin is one of my closest friends, it's true - one of my only friends." Harry shifts on his knee. He must be getting pretty sore, down there. Eggsy's tempted to ask him to stand up. "However, there is the slight issue of my not being in love with him."

"You ain't _in love_ with me," Eggsy points out, reasonably enough. If Harry's expression was stormy before, it's now a pitch-black night, filled with howling gales. Which. Is about. As fun. As it sounds.

"How could you _possibly_ believe that? Even for an _instant_?"

Only Harry's hand on his wrist stops Eggsy from fleeing. Even with it, it's a close-run thing. Harry looks as though he's about to _catch on fire_.

"Err...you never did anything?" Eggsy hazards.

For a second, it looks like Eggsy's going to have to call a medic. Harry's explosive. His chest's rising and falling, and rising and falling - and it's going faster and faster, and faster and faster, and his eyes are open wide, and - it stops. Harry slumps; shoulders falling, lines loosening.

Just like that, Eggsy can breathe.

"I...I understand that I never demonstrated my affections towards you. And for that, I am truly sorry. Perhaps, if I had, this would be easier." Harry sighs, deeply; he stares into the fire, as he speaks, hand falling away. Eggsy rubs his wrist. "I am not the man I once was."

"Pardon?"

Harry sucks in a breath; continues, speaking more quickly: "If we had met when I was in my prime - twenty five, twenty six, perhaps - this would be a different story entirely. I would be handsome, and you...I would have sought to woo you properly, as a gentleman would. As you are deserving of."

"Me? Wooing? Get out of it." Eggsy rubs the back of his neck, flattered despite himself. "I wouldn't have fallen for that. Never."

Harry's lip twitches upwards, making the laughter lines around his mouth rise. "You should have seen me. I was...good. Very, very good."

"Not good enough, mate," Eggsy says.

Harry's face pinches, and clears, in a fraction of a second. "I'm not so talented now, I'm afraid. My words don't seem to work for me, anymore."

"Seem to be working just fine," Eggsy comments. "Ain't got a problem there."

"I haven't got a problem _anywhere_. I simply...I just...I merely..." Harry looks down at his fingers, carefully folded together. Eggsy has to ball his own into his palms to stop him from reaching out. "I had a dream about you."

"What?" Eggsy asks. 

"I had a dream. About you," Harry says, like Eggsy had missed it. Like he'd been _able to miss it_. Is that the kind of thing you miss? Oh, sorry mate, but I _had a dream about_ \- "We were in Staffordshire - where I grew up, the same house. It's been demolished, but...I was showing you around, and you were laughing, and you looked..."

"Stupid?" Eggsy interjects.

"Happy," Harry replies, tartly. "You looked happy. So, I kissed you. And you...kissed me back."

Eggsy blinks. "Right," he says. "Well."

"Yes," Harry replies.

"I was a gentleman, was I? In this dream of yours." Eggsy sucks in his bottom lip, and spits it out again. "All silks and satins, I s'pose."

Harry's gaze is gentle. "No, my dear boy," he says. "You were quite yourself."

Eggsy can only stare, struck dumb. Harry's still kneeling on the floor. "You really askin' me this?" Harry nods, and nods, and smiles wanly. "Get up."

Harry's mouth opens, and shuts. He is pale as milk. He stands, head drooping, eyes on the ground. "I'm sorry," he says. "I don't expect you to wish to remain in my employ. But I thought - I'd presumed - I have disgraced myself, and embarrassed you. I apologise." 

"Shaddup," Eggsy says.

"I'm serious," Harry barrels on, cutting Eggsy off. "I will not ask you to stay. Merlin mentioned he was running low on hired help. I could easily set you up. You two would get along like a house on fire. I'm certain of it. Your wages, if anything, would improve."

"Harry," Eggsy says. "Do you think I care?"

Harry sighs. "No. I suppose not." He swallows. "You wish to leave the area, then. Too many painful recollections? I can assure you, it will be the same for both of us. Perhaps a holiday is in order."

"I ain't talkin 'bout Merlin," Eggsy says, "I'm talkin' 'bout you. Wages don't mean squat."

Harry blinks owlishly. "What?"

"I love you," Eggsy says. "And if you can't see that, you're a bigger idiot than I took you for. And that's saying something."

Signing, Eggsy steps forward. Harry watches him approach. Eggsy places his hands on Harry's shoulders, smiling up at him. Harry gulps.

"Idiot," Eggsy says fondly.

Harry bends to meet him at the last moments. Their jaws click together sloppily, before Harry's mouth is on his, and Eggsy is enveloped in a flurry of yes-yes-yes. Harry's eyes flicker shut, and Eggsy's do, too. Harry's hands rest on his waist, warm bear paws.

"Oh, Eggsy," Harry says. "For how long?"

Eggsy offers up a smile. His chest is signing. "Since day one, I reckon."

Harry shakes his head. For a second, Eggsy's stomach plummets. "To think - we could have had this from the beginning."

Eggsy lets out a sigh. "Had me worried for a second there. And what would _this_ be, exactly? Just so I'm sure."

Harry's hands cup his face, infinitely soft. "Everything I want," he says.

Eggsy blushes. "God, you're a sap. Think I might've picked the wrong bloke."

Harry shrugs, grinning. "I have you," he says. "I'm allowed a little mushiness."

"Hey, you're - " Eggsy says, and Harry is smirking against his lips; but then they're kissing, and the words go right out of Eggsy's head.

**Author's Note:**

> come find me on tumblr @muckymagician!


End file.
